| Spiritual Adultery
Sexuality is God's gift of emotional, spiritual, and physical intimacy to those who have committed their lives to each other in marriage, for as long as those two may live. God chose this unique bond of intimacy reserved for a man and woman in marriage as an example of the commitment and intimacy that is to be between Him and His people. This imagery is often used in both the Old and New Testaments. In the New Testament, we find this in Ephesians 5:31-33 and 2 Corinthians 11:2. However, this imagery is also used to convey the depths of loss and pain that is the result of infidelity. God makes it clear that when we, as His bride, give ourselves to those things that replace Him, it is an act of spiritual adultery. The graphic description of the twin sisters who gave themselves not just to an act of adultery but to ongoing harlotry with countless men refers to the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel. Both kingdoms turned to foreign empires for help rather than to God. God declared to them, "You have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your backs. Therefore, you shall bear the penalty of your lewdness and your harlotry." They traded God for foreign pagan gods, armies, and power to be their hope. But in the end, it was a false hope. Yet, it was these foreign empires that would remove their noses and ears, take their children, and strip them of their clothes and jewelry (23:25-26). For we who belong to God as a wife belongs to her husband, there is no happy ending when we turn our backs on Him. Satan will make sure of it. Just as the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Babylonians sought to destroy Israel, so Satan will do to each of us. He loves to take a child of God, one betrothed to Christ, and seek to steal, kill, and destroy all that God has given us in our relationship with Him (John 10:10). Becoming a "Christian" is not simply joining a church or choosing a religion. It is entering into an intimate and eternal relationship with God, in which His love for us is too great, too pure, and too strong to freely share our hearts with other "gods." This concept is behind the greatest of all commandments—to love God with all that we are. To claim to be a Christian, yet feel no loyalty to the relationship we have been brought into with God, is the greatest and most destructive deception we can entertain. | |||
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Ezekiel 23:1-24:27 Two Harlot Sisters 1 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying: 2 "Son of man, there were two women, 3 They committed harlotry in Egypt, 4 Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; 5 "Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine; 6 Who were clothed in purple, 7 Thus she committed her harlotry with them, 8 She has never given up her harlotry brought from Egypt, 9 "Therefore I have delivered her 10 They uncovered her nakedness, 11 "Now although her sister Oholibah saw this, she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister's harlotry. 12 "She lusted for the neighboring Assyrians, 13 Then I saw that she was defiled; 14 But she increased her harlotry; 15 Girded with belts around their waists, 16 As soon as her eyes saw them, 17 "Then the Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love, 18 She revealed her harlotry and uncovered her nakedness. 19 "Yet she multiplied her harlotry 20 For she lusted for her paramours, 21 Thus you called to remembrance the lewdness of your youth, 22 "Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you, 23 The Babylonians, 24 And they shall come against you 'I will delegate judgment to them, 25 I will set My jealousy against you, 26 They shall also strip you of your clothes 27 'Thus I will make you cease your lewdness and your harlotry 28 "For thus says the Lord GOD: 'Surely I will deliver you into the hand of those you hate, into the hand of those from whom you alienated yourself. 29 They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry. 30 I will do these things to you because you have gone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols. 31 You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will put her cup in your hand.' 32 "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'You shall drink of your sister's cup, 33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, 34 You shall drink and drain it, Says the Lord GOD. 35 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, 36 The LORD also said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. 37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them. 38 Moreover they have done this to Me: They have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Sabbaths. 39 For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed thus they have done in the midst of My house. 40 "Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you washed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on a stately couch, with a table prepared before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil. 42 The sound of a carefree multitude was with her, and Sabeans were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said concerning her who had grown old in adulteries, 'Will they commit harlotry with her now, and she with them?' 44 Yet they went in to her, as men go in to a woman who plays the harlot; thus they went in to Oholah and Oholibah, the lewd women. 45 But righteous men will judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands. 46 "For thus says the Lord GOD: 'Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to trouble and plunder. 47 The assembly shall stone them with stones and execute them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire. 48 Thus I will cause lewdness to cease from the land, that all women may be taught not to practice your lewdness. 49 They shall repay you for your lewdness, and you shall pay for your idolatrous sins. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.'" Ezekiel 24 Symbol of the Cooking Pot1 Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, write down the name of the day, this very day—the king of Babylon started his siege against Jerusalem this very day. 3 And utter a parable to the rebellious house, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Put on a pot, set it on, 4 Gather pieces of meat in it, 5 Take the choice of the flock. 6 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the bloody city, 7 For her blood is in her midst; 8 That it may raise up fury and take vengeance, 9 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the bloody city! 10 Heap on the wood, 11 "Then set the pot empty on the coals, 12 She has grown weary with lies, 13 In your filthiness is lewdness. 14 I, the LORD, have spoken it; Says the Lord GOD.'" The Prophet's Wife Dies15 Also the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 16 "Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead; bind your turban on your head, and put your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips, and do not eat man's bread of sorrow." 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died; and the next morning I did as I was commanded. 19 And the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things signify to us, that you behave so?" 20 Then I answered them, "The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 21 'Speak to the house of Israel, "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, your arrogant boast, the desire of your eyes, the delight of your soul; and your sons and daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22 And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips nor eat man's bread of sorrow. 23 Your turbans shall be on your heads and your sandals on your feet; you shall neither mourn nor weep, but you shall pine away in your iniquities and mourn with one another. 24 Thus Ezekiel is a sign to you; according to all that he has done you shall do; and when this comes, you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.'" 25 'And you, son of man—will it not be in the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that on which they set their minds, their sons and their daughters: 26 that on that day one who escapes will come to you to let you hear it with your ears? 27 On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you shall speak and no longer be mute. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the LORD.'" | |||
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| Ezekiel 23:1-24:27 v. 2 Two women – The Lord is now going to speak a prophetic parable in which he compares the two nations of Israel with two women. It is important to remember that after Solomon died, the nation of Israel was divided into two with ten tribes forming the nation of Israel and two tribes forming the nation of Judah. The northern kingdom of Israel would have several different kingly lines, but Judah would follow the descendants of David. Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon remained in the southern kingdom of Judah as well. The northern kingdom of Israel had already been utterly wiped out by the Assyrians over a hundred years prior to this prophecy, but the nation of Judah would persist for a few more. These nations are compared to women again, because of the frequent reference to Israel as God's bride or wife and her idolatries as adulteries. Daughters of one mother – This is to signify that both nations came from one family line: the line of Jacob. v. 3 Harlotry – prostitution. This term is used metaphorically of Israel's idolatry. Egypt – Israel grew into a nation during its time in Egypt, thus, this is communicating that, from its very inception Israel has been given over to idol worship. Breasts…virgin bosom…pressed – Much of the imagery used by the Lord in this chapter is very sexual. It is used to provide emphasis: in describing these women and their adulteries in detail, God is showing the people just how abominable their idolatries were to Him. v. 4 Oho'lah – a Hebrew word meaning "her own tabernacle" Ohol'ibah – a Hebrew word meaning "My Tabernacle is in her" – Oho'lah represents the northern kingdom of Israel and is so named because they worshipped their gods wherever they so desired, but Judah is named Ohol'ibah because the Temple of Yahweh resided in the city of Jerusalem. Samaria – The capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel. Here the Lord, using the capital city to represent the whole nation, defining for us explicitly that Samaria is to be equated with Oho'lah. Jerusalem – The capital city of the southern kingdom of Judah. Here again, the Lord uses the capital city to represent the whole nation and identifies Judah with Ohol'ibah. v. 5 Lusted – Again, sexually explicit metaphors are used throughout this chapter to describe the idol worship of Israel. Assyrians – The Assyrians were a powerful empire located in the northern part of what is today the nation of Iraq. The Assyrians would ultimately destroy the northern kingdom of Israel in the year 722 BC, more than a hundred year before this particular prophecy was given. The Assyrians destroyed the cities of the Israelites, removed the people from the land, relocated them throughout their empire, and brought foreigners into Israel to settle them their. The Assyrians were particularly cruel in their conquests. v. 6 Clothed in purple – Purple dye was very difficult to come by, as it could only be found in an extremely rare shell fish found off the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Only the rich could afford to own purple clothing, thus, it was very desirable and became associated with royalty, wealth, and power. Desirable young men – Again, using the sexual metaphor, the Lord here points out that the nation of Israel began to worship the gods of the Assyrians. As was common, this was often done out of a belief that the strongest people had the strongest gods. Since Assyria was the strongest nation at the time, it was natural for people to think that she had the greatest gods. Israel therefore longed for or lusted after her power and wealth. v. 8 Never given up her harlotry – Throughout Israel's history, it never had turned from its idolatry. v. 9 Delivered her into the hands of her lovers – Since Israel wanted to worship the Assyrian gods so badly, in a stroke of poetic justice, God delivered the nation into the hands of the Assyrian army and allowed them to be plundered and destroyed. v. 10 Uncovered her nakedness – This refers to the shameful act of stripping a woman in public in order to humiliate her. In this metaphor, Israel is the one being stripped and humiliated in front of all of the other nations. Took away her sons and daughters – These were they that were taken into captivity into the land of Assyria. Byword – The story of what happened to Israel was known amongst many nations and often told in mockery of its people. v. 11 Although…saw this – The purpose of this prophecy now comes to plain view. All this time, God has been speaking of what happened to Israel to show the nation of Judah that, as she has committed the exact same crimes, she would receive the exact same punishment. Only this time, the judgment will be at the hands of the Babylonians instead of the Assyrians. More corrupt – The sins of Judah exceeded the sins of Israel in severity and frequency. v. 12 Lusted…Assyrians – Again using the sexual imagery, God points out that Judah had also gone after Assyria's gods. v. 14 Increased her harlotry – In spite of the fact that Judah observed what had happened to Israel, she continued to worship false gods. Their idolatry would actually culminate under the reign of the wicked king Manasseh, who came to power after Israel had already been destroyed by the Assyrians (2 Kings 21:1-17, 2 Chron. 33:1-20). Chaldeans – Another term for the Babylonians. In the description that follows, God points out that the worship of their gods had become desirable to the Jews. v. 18 She uncovered her nakedness – As the metaphor goes, Oho'libah, in essence, stripped herself in front of everybody, thinking that she would be loved, but only brought more shame upon herself than her sister; for, at least her sister waited till somebody else stripped her. This is all to say that Judah brought her own shame upon her own head. Nobody else forced it upon her. Alienated Myself…as I had alienated…her sister – Here God is saying that he separated himself from Judah and removed his protective hand from being over her in the same way that he had done with rebellious Israel. v. 20 Paramours – Unlawful or adulterous lovers. The Lord continues with the adultery/idolatry comparison. v. 21 Youth…Egyptians – Again, the frequent reference to youthfulness, as well as to Egypt, points to the fact that Judah had been unfaithful to the Lord from the very beginning. v. 22 Your lovers – As with Israel it is ironic that the very people Judah would emulate, would be the ones that would destroy them. v. 23 Pekod, Shoa, Koa – Cities and peoples under Babylonian control. These would be mustered alongside the forces of the Babylonians and invade Israel. Assyrians with them – In 605 BC, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Assyrians and subjugated many of its people to his rule and authority. Thus, his invading army would consist of Assyrians as well as the other peoples mentioned here, along with many more. v. 24 Chariots, wagons…a horde of people…buckler, shield, and helmet – These were the weapons and resources of warfare used in the ancient world. In saying this, the Lord is stirring up the minds of the people to envision the overwhelming attack that they are about to deal with. v. 25 My jealousy – The Lord is saying to the people that the Babylonians are his tool for judgment. He is bringing them upon Judah because of his jealousy at their frequent idolatries. Nose and ear – Disfiguration was a common practice that invading soldiers would inflict on their conquered foes. Take your sons and daughters – Just as Israel's sons and daughters had been removed from the land and taken into captivity, so too, Judah would see her sons and daughters carried away into Babylon as slaves. v. 27 I will make you cease your lewdness – All of this is done to put an end to Judah's rebellious ways. At the end of this all, Judah, as a nation would repent of her sins. v. 31 Sister…her cup in your hand – This metaphor is given to call to mind the picture of a person being forced to drink something that she doesn't want. As her mouth is opened and the drink pours down her throat, much of the drink spills out of her mouth down her neck and shirt. This word picture is often used to symbolize judgment and trial, and here the Lord is telling the Jews that they would have to endure the same kind of judgment and trial that Israel had to face. v. 32 Scorn…derision – Judah was to become a laughingstock and a mockery amongst the surrounding nations. Contains much – The cup of wrath from which Judah would have to drink was very full, signifying that Judah was going to have to endure much tribulation before it was all said and done. v. 36 Judge…declare – Again Ezekiel is called to pronounce the judgments upon the two nations and to point out the specific nature of their sins. In what follows, Ezekiel will specifically enumerate the kinds of sins that had been committed within the boundaries of the nations of Israel and Judah. v. 37 Adultery – This is referring to actual adulteries committed by the actual people. At this point Ezekiel is not using the metaphor of the adulteress, although he will resume that shortly. Here he is specifically naming the crimes of the Jews and Israelites. Sons…passing them through the fire – Children would be offered in sacrifice to false gods, by being burned alive. v. 38 Midst of my house – The people were so bold as to sacrifice their own children on the altar of Yahweh in his Temple. v. 40 Washed yourself…ornaments – Here Ezekiel again picks up the metaphor of Oho'lah and Ohol'ibah, likening the two nations to prostitutes. v. 45 Righteous men – People that know what's right will see God's judgment upon these nations and recognize that it was just for him to do as he had done. Blood is on their hands – This is an idiom describing these people as guilty of murder. v. 46 Assembly – In the Law of Moses, God commanded that crimes such as the ones mentioned above should be dealt with by putting the offender in front of the assembly of the people, at which point, the people would hurl stones at that individual until death. Here the armies gathered together against Israel and Judah represent the assembly, and their attacks are symbolized by the stoning that the congregation would give. Stoning was to be done in front of all the people so that others would be afraid of committing the same crime. In this metaphor, Judah is to be judged in front of all nations, so that the surrounding nations will be afraid to commit the same offences against the Lord. v. 48 Lewdness to cease – The Lords desire here is not to get revenge, but to put an end to wickedness. This is the ultimate goal of the judgment being brought against these people. Ezekiel 24v. 1 Ninth year – This is the ninth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity and the ninth year of the reign of King Zedekiah. This prophecy takes place more than two years after that mentioned in chapter 20 verse one, and about a year before the Babylonians were to complete the destruction of Jerusalem. v. 2 This day…siege of Jerusalem – This prophecy marks the beginning of the year long siege of Jerusalem. A siege takes place when an army surrounds a walled city and prevents anyone or anything from coming into or out of that city. One of the chief goals of a siege is to cut off the enemy's food and water supplies and pressure them into surrender. King of Babylon – The king of Babylon at this time was King Nebuchadnezzar, about whom much is written in the Scriptures, especially the book of Daniel. v. 3 Parable – a metaphor of sorts, making a comparison between two things that are relatively unlike in order to emphasize some feature that they have in common v. 4 Pot – In what follows, Ezekiel likens the city of Jerusalem to a pot of boiling stew and what happens during the time of the boiling is meant to be compared to the trials that the nation will face under the siege of the Babylonians. Meat – The meat represents the people of the city. The Choice cuts – These are the nobility and the upper class of Jerusalem. v. 5 Bones – In the metaphor, the bones serve in the place of wood as fuel for fire upon which the pot is boiling. This is to conjure to mind the image of bones burning within the city walls of Jerusalem. Simmer – The pot of stew is to be slowly brought to a boil as the city will slowly be brought to ruin. The Babylonians will lay siege for the better part of a year, while the inhabitants of the city will starve inside. These trials will continue to slowly afflict the people, until they weaken so much that the Babylonians may attack, taking the city by storm. v. 6 Scum – This refers to the sticky substance that rises to the top of the pot of stew as it simmers. This substance is typically removed. Symbolically the scum is referring to the wickedness of the Jews which will be removed during this time of judgment. This metaphor fulfills much the same role as that of the silver and dross. No lot has fallen – Casting lots was a game of chance, which much resembled the rolling of dice. It was frequently used to make chance decisions and is here used as a metaphor to describe the practice of saving some and killing others. Here the Lord is saying that none will be saved "by lot", that is, none will be spared the judgment to come. v. 7 Blood – This refers to the crimes committed by the Jews, especially the crime of murder. Cover with dust – This speaks of the flippant manner in which the Jews sinned against the Lord. They were unashamed of what they had done and didn't even try to hide it. v. 8 On top of a rock…not covered – Here the Lord is saying that there is no use in the Jews trying to cover their sins now. He has exposed them for everyone to see and judgment is coming regardless of what they do. There will be no making amends at this point. v.9 Bloody city – Jerusalem Pyre – a bundle of wood upon which a dead body would be burned – Here the Lord is speaking of the funeral pyre of the city of Jerusalem. v. 10 Heap on the wood – Here Ezekiel returns to the metaphor of the boiling pot. v. 11 Empty on the coals – In this metaphor God is telling the people that all of the scum and filth of their unrighteous deeds will be removed. Nobody will be left to continue their evil practices. In this picture the empty pot, the melting bronze, and the removal of the scum signify that every one and every thing is going to have to pass through this fiery trial. v. 12 She – again referring to Judah or Jerusalem v. 13 I have cleansed you…you were not cleansed – Here the Lord is reminding Judah that he has given them trials and tribulations before with a view to disciplining her and setting her free from her sins, but she would not repent, regardless of what he allowed to pass her way. You will not be cleansed…until…My fury – This is an assertion that this judgment will not stop until God's wrath is completely satisfied, because the people will not repent until the full measure of judgment is brought upon them. v. 14 I will do it – This is a reminder that, in the end, it is the Lord that is bringing this judgment and not the Babylonians. Relent – The Lord is not going to bring an end to this action, until the Babylonians are done. He is not going to change his mind. They will judge you – This is a very significant theological point: in the end, God does not need to judge the people, because their own wicked deeds have already pronounced judgments upon them. This verse reveals the very important principle that sin itself brings judgment naturally. v. 16 Desire of your eyes – The desire of Ezekiel's eyes we will find out in verse 18 is his wife. v. 17 No mourning…bind your turban…put on your sandals – Ezekiel is being commanded not to go through the customary practice of weeping, tearing his clothes and sitting in sackcloth and ashes, but, rather, is to put on traveling clothes. In doing this, he becomes a sign to the people of the fact that they are not going to have time to mourn their loved ones or to bewail the loss of their land, but will have to leave immediately as slaves under the hand of their Babylonian oppressors. v. 18 My wife died – It seems cruel that God did not allow his servant to mourn for his wife, but this entire series of events ends up being a teaching tool that God uses to speak to the nation of Israel. v. 19 Signify – The prophets were often asked to do strange things for the purpose of gaining an audience. In this, the prophet becomes the metaphor that God uses to speak to his people. When the people saw Ezekiel walking around without mourning the loss of his wife, they asked him what his behavior meant symbolically. Since they understood him to be a prophet, they knew he had a divine message to deliver through this practice. v. 21 Profane my Sanctuary – This refers to the fact that the Babylonians are going to destroy the Temple of Yahweh. Desire of your eyes – Here the Lord is explaining the metaphor that Ezekiel was living. Just as he had lost the desire of his eyes and had to wander through the streets and refrain from weeping, so too, the Jews would lose the desire of their eyes: their sons, daughters, wives, husbands, and parents, as well as their city, and would not have time to mourn them, but would have to go immediately into captivity. v. 22 Cover your lips – To cover one's mouth in sorrow is a common reaction from people experiencing grief. Man's bread of sorrows – bread given by mourners to the family of the deceased – This was often done as a token of love, as friends would try to take care of and meet the needs of the grieving family. v. 23 Pine away – The outward signs of grief were a coping mechanism and, since the people would not have the ability to grieve properly, they would slowly waste away in spirit as they dwelt upon their sorrows. With one another – Everyone will be in mourning together and there will be nobody there to comfort them. v. 24 Sign – Here we see that the prophet himself becomes the metaphor or the sign of what God's is saying. v. 26 On that day – After all of these things come to pass, the survivors of the Babylonian onslaught will come to know that Ezekiel was indeed a prophet and they will come to him and ask of him the will of the Lord. v. 27 Mute – Ezekiel has spoken much to this nation, but they would not listen. This passage is telling us that, after all these things come to pass, the people will believe him and listen to what he has to say. | |||
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| They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry. I will do these things to you because you have gone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols. –Ezekiel 23:29-30 These are painful words we read today, Lord. To know that we are Your bride, Your wife, Your beloved, yet we have turned our hearts toward other lovers is a harsh and convicting word picture. Help us to truly see, God, that committing our lives to You is entering into a vow just like one of that between husband and wife. We pray for hearts that take our dedication to You as seriously as we would an official marriage. | |||
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23:29-30 They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry. I will do these things to you because you have gone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols.
Grace Works
